A few thoughts on vintage porn
It's no secret that I prefer the kind of pornographic material widespread in the late 1970s and early 1980s (in the US, at least), just before the industry switched from celluloid to video. Back then, films had plots, and as well as a level of technical expertise comparable with their mainstream contemporaries; in addition, actors and actresses took their roles more seriously, adding an extra layer of reality to what was always at heart little more than a sexual fantasy.
With all due respect to the current generation of hardcore thespians, their predecessors often exhibited more genuine passion. The likes of Hyapatia Lee, Honey Wilder or Kay Parker may not have exactly fitted the template of the quintessential "girl next door", but they exhibited an earthly and unretouched naturalism seemingly abandoned by today's producers.
There are many current actresses whom I feel certain would have prospered during the golden age of Porn - Lexi Belle, for instance - but it does concern me that so many others are submerging their personalities and relying instead upon building a reputation for accepting the most physically arduous sexual challenges. At some point, it ceases to be erotica and turns into a combination of physics and geometry, with biology a very poor second. We're all the losers for that.
With all due respect to the current generation of hardcore thespians, their predecessors often exhibited more genuine passion. The likes of Hyapatia Lee, Honey Wilder or Kay Parker may not have exactly fitted the template of the quintessential "girl next door", but they exhibited an earthly and unretouched naturalism seemingly abandoned by today's producers.
There are many current actresses whom I feel certain would have prospered during the golden age of Porn - Lexi Belle, for instance - but it does concern me that so many others are submerging their personalities and relying instead upon building a reputation for accepting the most physically arduous sexual challenges. At some point, it ceases to be erotica and turns into a combination of physics and geometry, with biology a very poor second. We're all the losers for that.
11 years ago
There have been a few attempts at 'mainstream' porn -- 9 Songs, for example -- but most present themselves as arthouse projects. Major US newspapers won't accept their ads, cinema chains won't grant them space (all the fuss over Rosario Dawson's shaven haven in Trance). The NC-17 rating was supposed to be a move in that direction, but many newspapers apparently operated the same veto as they do for XXX releases.
The move out of California may happen, and soon, thanks to new health & safety rules enforcing the use of condoms. I hear the industry is appealing against the legislation.